Automobile heater



1929. J. J. SUNDAY AUTOMOBILE HEATER Filed Aug.29, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VEN TOR.

Aug. 6, 1929. J. J. SUNDAY AUTOMOBILE HEATER Filed Aug. 29, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. Games 17%0dgy A TTORNE Y.

Patented Aug. 6, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,123,312 PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES J. SUNDAY, 01' DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ABSIGNOB TO STANDARD TUBE & MANU- FAGIUBIN G COMPANY, 01' DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OI IICHIGAN'.

AUTOMOBILE HEATER.

Application filed August 88, 1927. Serial Io. 818,045.

This invention relates to an automobileheater, wherein heat is taken from the exhaust gasesof the internal combustion engine for the purpose of heating the interior of the automobile.

It is the aim of the invention to provide a heater which afi'ords large heat transferring surface as between the exhaust gases and air to be heated, while the exterior dimensions of the device are such as to form a relatively small and compact heater. It is a further aim of the invention to provide a heater which can readily be placed on cars which do not include heaters as original equipment. Structural features of such cars which include frame, frame cross members, drive shaft, etc. very often make it diflicult to put a heater on the car. Accordingly, some of the portions of the heater are made adjustable so th-ctconnecting' conduits can be arranged to extend in various directions from the heater. Further features of the invention include the simplicity of the heater structure so that it can be manufactured economically and at the same time arran ement is such that undesirable mixing 0 exhaust gases and air is prevented. A

More particularly, the heater of this invention takes the form of a casting which is to be placed in the exhaust line, andvaround the casting is a shell. The casting has passageways for the exhaust gases and for air and the shell provides for the passage 0 air aroulid the casting. By reason of utilizing a casting there is little danger of leakage of exhaust gases into the air being heated. Moreover, the castingis so shaped as to facilitate its formation 1n a mold.

In the accompanying drawin Fig. 1 is a perspective view o the heater with parts cut away and parts in section, showing the interior casting unit and the exterior shell, and the passageways for the exhaust gases and air.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through a portion of the heater showing the manner in which the passageways and the walls therefor in the casting member are arranged for equal distribution of exhaust gases through the casting. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2

showing thepreferred formation of certain the casting to facilitate the portions of casting of the same.

member.

I generally, 10. The shell is The interior member of the heater, which is a casting, is referenced 1, and is provided at one end with an opening 2 and at the other end with an opening 3. This member is designed to be laced in the exhaust line and preferably t e arrangement is such that either end can be used as an inlet or outlet. In other words, it is reversible and in making the installatlon' no particular attention may be paid to which end is for the inlet and which end for the outlet. The casting includes longitudinally extending hollow partition-like members 4, which communicate at opposite ends with the openings 2 and 3af itlhus the exhaust gases which enter one opening are divided and pass through the hollow member 4 and then leave the casting through the opposite opening. Preferably the arrangement is such as to provide for four of such passageways for the exhaust gases as shown at 5 in Fig. 2.

The central partition member is preferably positioned in advance of the others, so as to more nearly approachthe adjacent opening. In this manner the exhaust gases coming into the casting through the opening 2 (Fig. 2) are more or less equally divided by the central partition member and flow to both sides thereof, whereupon the exhaust gases pass through the channels disposed on either side of the central partition The combined capacity of the several passageways for the exhaust gases is, at least, equal to or greater than the capacity of the exhaust conduit, so as to permit the gases to readily flow through the casting, without creating any back pressure upon the engine.

Referring to Fig. 3, it will be noted that the several partitions of the casting have their walls tapered from one end to the other, inasmuch as the casting has to be made in a mold and preferably a sand mold. This taper facilitates removal of a casting from a mold without destroying the mold. 1

Ifdesirable the ends of the casting which form the inlet and outlet openings may be split as at 6, and provided with lugs for receiving a tightening bolt 7, so that the same can be somewhat contracted for attachment to a conduit or suitable bushing.

Around this casting member through which the exhaust gases ass in the several passageways, is a secure shell referenced, of stamped sheet a This construction provides a number of passageways for air which are referenced 35, there being such a passageway between each two adjacent hollow partitions for the exhaust gases, and preferably the shell is it spaced in the casting thus to provide additional air passageways around the outside of the casting.

For the purpose of permitting air to pass through the heater one of the shell members as for example, the shell member 12, is provided with inlet and outlet openings. Into these openings are fitted devices 16 and 17 for connection with suitable air conducting conduits. The device 16 will be connected to a conduit which conducts fresh air into the heater andthe device 17 will be connected to a conduit for conducting the heated air into the interior of the automobile. These devices 16 and 17 are made pref erably of two stampings l8 and 19 which are connected together by a lock seam 20. The members 19 are secured to the opening by metal which is extended through the opening and then flanged over as shown at 21. The members may be provided with beads 22 lying above the opening so that the devices are nicely positioned- This construction makes for ease in installation. It will be appreciated that structural features of automobiles var so that it is ofttimes'necessary to put t e heater in difierent positions and to run the air conduits to and from the heater in diilerent directions. The devices 16 and 17 are rotatable at their connections so that they can be 'positionedin' any desired manner as required by the structural features ofan automobile, thus to facilitate the installation of the heater.

Freshair coming in' through themember 16 passes downwardly through the passage- .ways 15 and 15, and for the purpose of nsur ng th s downward movement the castmg 18 provided with a partition member 25',

casting. e partition member has. legs which extend downwardly substantially half the distance of the castin thus dividmg each passageway 15. hepartition member also extends above and outside of the castin and makes contact with the portion 12 o the shell, and with the shell at the sides of the device as indicated in Fig.

Thus this partition'causes incoming an to pass downwardly through the passageside of the heater and p passageways get larger. jColdair entering wayslfi and 15 whereupon the air assumes a longitudinal direction under the partition and then upwardly through the passageways and out through the device 17. will be noted that the partition member acts to support the shell at the top and at the sides. This construction aids in preventing the pulsations of the exhaust gases from being telegraphed into the automobile. in other words, it prevents Vibration of the outer shell.

The air outlet member 17 is preferably formed with a valve 26 having suitable operating means 27, which may be directed to the interior of the car. This valve is arranged to alternately open or close a cutout opening 27, and the outlet conduit for air, in device 17 which leads to the interior of the car. Thus when it is desired to heat the car the valve is actuated to close the cut-out opening 27, thus permitting heated air to pass out through the device 17 and into the car. When it is desired not to heat the car, the valve is actuated to close the outlet 17 and to open the cut-out 27. A heater device of this kind, or course, is not utilized in summer and sometimes for several months the heated air is merely shut oil by a grating in the interior of the car. The air within the heater becomes stagnant and hot, and may result in over heating the heater resulting in undue deterioration of the parts and joints thereof. However, by utilizing the cut-out the hot air passes through the heater in the same manner as when the heater is used to heat' the car, and in this manner the heater is in eifect cooled by the passage of air therethrough.

It will be noted that the present invention affords a heater which is of a compact nature for easy installation and in which certain portions are adjustable. The exhaust gases are contained entirely within the casting so that there is little or no danger of the leakage of the gases into the air to be heated. It will be also noted that the air 1 vided-into a plurality of streams alternately which 1s referably an integral-part of the arranged.

The taper'of the walls of the iongitudi nally extending partition members not only aids in the casting of the interior-heater unit; but has a definite efiect u n the shape of the passageways for the air (note Fig. 3). After the air enters the passageways 15 and 15 the passageways become smaller and thereafter the air. moves to the other ae upwardly the ed. The hi her degrees of heat in the air are attaine of course, as the air reaches the bottom of the heater and then passes upwardly and out of the heater. The air expands and due to the increasing ca acity of the air channels a sort of draft is set up which aids the passage of air through the heater. Of course, when the air first enters the heater the passageways become smaller but the'air at this point is only beginning to get warm and constriction of the passage ways is not sufiieient to offset the draft set up by "the hot air passing out through the gradually enlarging passageways.

I claim 1. An exhaust gas heater comprising adefining a plurality of passageways for the passageways the'rethrough, a shell around' exhaust gases,. said partitions each having the casting, said shell having an inlet and an outlet for air disposed near the ends of the heater, and a bafile within the passageway ofeach partition and located between the inlet r and outlet openings of the shell whereby air which-enters said casing is caused to flow through the passageways in the partitions across the path of the exhaust gases but out of contact therewith and then reverse and vthen again to flow across the path of the exhaust gases.

2. An exhaust gas heater comprising a casting having an inlet and an outlet for exhaustgases, a plurality of spaced hollow partitions in communication with the inlet 1 and outlet for passage of exhaust gases therethrough, a shell around the casting 1 having an inlet and an outlet for air arranged so that the a r is assed transverselv through the spaced partitlons and then back transversely throughthe spaced partitions iii a reverse direction, the walls of said partitions bein divergent whereby the air pas- I sagewa s o the outgoing heated air are of gradua 1 increasing capacity so that theexpande'd eat-ed air sets up a draft to, facilitate the passage of air therethrough.

3. An exhaust gas heater comprising a unit casting having at opposite ends'a collarbetween the hollow like extension adapted for connection to an exhaust conduit, said- 0 ing having partitions therein which are hollow, whereby exhaust gases may pass'through the cast' pla'rtitions, said parti tions being separated ture.

om each other, a casbeing connected thereto adjacent the collar- -like extensions, said casin being provided with an inlet and an outlet for air whereby air may pass around the casting through the separated partitions and between the casing and the casting in heat transferring relation with. the exhaust gases, and adjustableturrets in the said inlet and outlet openings in the casing for'connection to air conduits.

4. An exhaust gas heater comprisin a 7 unit casting having .at opposite ends a col arlike extension adapted for connection to an exhaust conduit, said casting having partitions therein which are hollow, whereby exhaust gases may pass through the castin between thev hollow partitions, said part1-. tions being separated from each other, a casing around this casting, said casingrbeing spaced from the body of the casting an being connected'thereto adjacent the collarlike extensions, said casing being provided with an inlet and an outlet for air whereby air may pass around the casting through the separated partitions and between the casing and'the casting in heattransferring relation 35 with the exhaust gases, and rotatably K mounted turrets in the inlet and outlet casing each having an extension for connection to an air con'duit.

5. An exhaust gas heater comprising a unit casting having at opposite-ends a collarlike extension adapted for connection to an exhaust conduit, said casting having partitions therein which are hollow, whereby exhaust gases may pass between the casting through the hollow partitions, said partitions being separated from each other, a casing around thiscasting, said casing being spaced from the body of the casting and being connected theretoadjacent the collarlike extensions, said casing being provided withan inlet and an outlet for air whereby air may pass around the casting through the separated partitions and between the casing and the casting in heat transferring relation withthe' exhaust gases, said inlet and outlet openings being disposed on the same side of the casing and the said casting .having baflle members within the divided partitions whereby the *air is caused to pass through the partitions underneath the bafiles and back again through, the partitions.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signa- JAMES J, SUNDAY. 

